RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 20, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 20, 2020

Today in Russia: Navalny spokeswoman says he is poisoned and in critical condition in hospital; EU rejects Belarus election result; Russia furious about “foreign meddling” in Belarus, but even state media seems confused about the official line on Belarus – maybe there isn’t one?; Kiev denies reports that it had hand in Russian mercenaries being in Minsk; In 2020, oil and gas less than a third of state revenues; Khabarovsk update; FSB says Ukrainian intelligence tried to kidnap Donbass militia leader from Russia; Quarantine punishment for activists

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 19, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 19, 2020

Today in Russia: Belarus opposition “Coordination Council” meets for first time; Tikhanovskaya urges EU not to recognize election results; Putin warns Merkel, other EU leaders not to interfere in Belarus; Trump says he will talk to Putin about Belarus; Gorbachev identifies Lukashenko’s mistakes in interview; Russia’s opposition eyes events next door in Minsk; Khabarovsk Transport Minister from Furgal administration detained; US Senate GOP-led report says Russia interfered in 2016 elections; Russian general killed in Syria; Russian offshore may be more appealing than Cyprus after tax agreement renegotiation

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 18, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 18, 2020

Today in Russia: “Tikhanovskaya had six times more votes than Lukashenko”; Lukashenko makes vague promise for more elections after he faces booing factory workers; Energy minister Novak contracts coronavirus; Vaccine chief in Russia says West trying to steal Russian scientists; Moscow exchange to open trading to 19 American companies; Norway arrests suspected Russian spy; Dmitry Trenin: Game over for Lukashenko and Moscow’s next move

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 17, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 17, 2020

Today in Russia: Largest protest in Belarus’ history as 200k march on Minsk, Lukashenko defiant and says he asked Russia for help; Tikhanovskaya says she is ready to be “national leader” in Belarus; How Russia could be drawn into Belarus; Payments for doctors may be extended; WeWork will sell offices in Moscow; The fight against sanctioned products to be ramped up

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 13, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 13, 2020

Today in Russia: Crackdown continues in Belarus; Renowned Russian violinist Spivakov writes blistering open letter and returns award from Lukashenko; Duterte changes his mind on being Russian vaccine “guinea pig”; Yandex shares reach a record high; Armed men at Minsk offices of Yandex and Uber; Russian Youtuber detained for exposing state secrets; Record low arrests […]

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 12, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 12, 2020

Today in Russia: Russia says reporting on its new vaccine is “information warfare”; Six months into pandemic and Russian stats “still provide more questions than answers”; Third night of unrest in Belarus, experts in Russia and Belarus weigh in; Kazakhstan resumes flights with Russia; Putin not happy with high prices in Kamchatka, blames “monopolists”; Big list of former US officials say now is not the time for Russia reset; US GOP senators up the ante on Nord Stream 2, Germany less than pleased

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 11, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 11, 2020

Today in Russia: Tikhanovskaya leaves Belarus for neighboring Lithuania, Internet blocked for third straight day; Russia sees opportunity to expand influence in Belarus election chaos; Russia presses ahead with vaccine registration, industry condemns premature release but Putin’s daughter already given vaccine; Philippines signs up for Russian vaccine; Russia backs away from full crypto ban; Germany not liking the heat from the USA on Nord Stream 2; German state utility Uniper says sanctions may thwart Nord Stream 2; Russian petroleum exports to USA reach record levels

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 10, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 10, 2020

Today in Russia: Putin congratulates Belarus’ Lukashenko for his (highly improbable) landslide victory; Russian media reacts to the events in Minsk; Russia and China “ditch dollar” in bilateral trade; Alcohol sales fall; Cyprus agrees to hike capital taxes from Russia following threats to end tax agreement

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This Week in Russia: August 8, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 8, 2020

A summary of this week’s key news in Russia

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Departures Podcast with Luke Harding

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: August 4, 2020

With assassinations taking place on foreign soil, widespread hacking and disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining democratic elections, and provocations of armed conflict across multiple theaters, Russia’s role in the post-Cold War international system under President Vladimir Putin has been that of a disrupter. But they’ve likely never had a more powerful weapon at their disposal […]

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